By the time you decided to speak, your phone had rung rapidly, the AC/DC tone signalling it was Tony. "Yeah? Shit- are you okay?? Yeah, we're- Hospital. What? Fuck- we'll be there soon," you repeat over and over. "We gotta go, Wong accidentally released something from the dream dimension?? And Thor is having some kind of deity meltdown??"
"Why didn't he call me first??" Stephen changes into his usual robes while you did the same.
"Seriously??" You groan while listening to Tony, "they didn't want to disturb us- it's- yeah just wait- we're on our way, my god,"
Stephen opens a portal, jumping through and holding his hand out for you to take. "Sorry we have to go, Christine," he makes sure you step through without falling.
"It's no worry," she assures with a smile, "it was lovely to see you again, Stephen, and great meeting you, Y/n," she waves as the portal closes behind you both.
"She's cute," you were only able to say this before a large stone was tossed at you both, "watch out!" tackling the sorcerer down, he gives a quick 'thanks' in return.
The street in front of the sanctum was ridden with curious creatures made of a dark fog. About the size of your palm, they threw themselves at each team member, trying to drag them down to an open portal that had a giant dragon waiting for its next meal.
Skulls lined the dimension beyond the portal, some sort of figure watching from afar. Unruly black hair, pale grey skin and a pair of green eyes speaking nothing but malice. His clothing curled at the ends like some sort of time burton character, dull sage green being the only colour he sported besides the black of his rotting fingertips. He lifted his finger, a few skeletons still adorned with chunks of flesh charging out.
"Okay, so not something I expected to do tonight," you take your grimoire out, finding the right spell, "cover me?"
"Sure thing," he stands up, summoning a large shield, walking forward to create enough space for you to execute whatever plan you had in mind. One step, then another, the same move you had used on him previously lifted you to higher ground, enough momentum for you to strike down on the group of figures taking Nat into the portal.
"Missed me, Romanoff?" you look at her with a hand held out.
"So much," she takes it, "how was your date? Sorry to cut it short,"
"It was not a date!" you sucker punch a skeleton guard.
"Wong, try not to trigger the end of the world while I'm gone," Stephen steps up to his partner, using a rope of magic to slingshot the army back into the portal, "and Nightmare of all people,"
"Yes, well I wasn't exactly intending on doing so," Wong grumbles, "the saddle of Dreamstalker had fallen from its casing and knocked into Prabhakar's goblet of travel," he explains while drawing Sam back from being taken into the portal.
"Here's an idea," Stephen grunts as he pulls, "let's keep those things away from each other,"
"Brilliant solution," Wong pulls the hero back to safety.
With the help of Thor, you were able to de-escalate the swarm of nightmarish creatures. Civilians were long evacuated, nothing but heroes in the street to defend the city of New York and the very dimension it sat in.
"Mind closing the portal now?!" Bucky slowly got back to his feet after skidding a meter or two along the ground, metal arm digging into the ground.
"Yeah, hold on," Strange and Wong started to mimic the same hand movements, magic turning slightly green as they match the spell towards the portal.
Silence took over the street, as if a sudden snap had cut out all noise. The team looked between one another, even the sorcerers confused at the lack of chaos that had now dissipated into nothing. "Bring me that one," a whisper faded through the wind, street lamps flickering rapidly until they exploded in a giant wave of screams.
"What the-" you were cut off by your very own scream, two large claw like apparitions gripping your waist and dragging you into the dimension. Soon, without fail, you had fallen to the feet of that very figure you saw earlier. His body towered over yours, now choosing to settle in a chair- no, a throne made of the deceased.
"Y/n!" Stephen stopped the spell, running after towards the portal without a single thought.
Nightmare's fingers curl around your hair, yanking you into the air then onto his lap. "My my, what a beautiful little thing you are," he hooked a finger under your chin, letting your head reel back before he grabbed it roughly. "Why would you keep such a beauty from my realm, Strange?"
"Let Y/n go, Nightmare; enough toying with those from my dimension," his fingers twitched, ready to brandish any weapon necessary.
"No such deal was made; shall we make one then?" He held a hand out to Strange before chuckling and retracting in, "Hm, such confidence, what fears lay within that curious mind, darling?" He summoned a mirror, forcing your eyes to meet its reflection. But before Strange could prevent what he knew was to happen, Nightmare let vine-like apparitions latch him down, curling around his wrists, neck and legs.
Stephen was forced to watch as your eyes glowed a dangerous green, matching that of Nightmare, who sighed in amusement. Your screams were like music to his ears, flashes of fears swarming your vision and relaxing the demon's muscles.
"You fearful little thing," he pouted his lips, "but what really scares you? What's your weakness?" He looked deeper within the recesses of your mind, "who is your weakness?"
To someone there would always be one. Someone was always beyond important to an individual. Someone they loved. Above other friends and family.
"Please- stop-" you whisper out, unable to scream any further, energy leaving your system.
"Y/n!" The team yells but Wong had no choice but to hold them off. One being from earth in the dimension was enough, two would be pushing it, anymore would give Nightmare the chance to possess and rule a dimension other than his.
Strange grunted against the restraints, trying to break free, eventually caught off guard by the fall in Nightmare's face. His wicked grin soon turned into confusion and dismay.
"You dull creature," he threw you down by Stephen who knelt against the grubby ground, "pathetic," he further spat out, slightly unnerved by the actions taken out within your mind. "I think it's your turn, Doctor," Nightmare stood, slowly descending from his throne of skulls.
"Now, Wong!" Stephen yelled as an intense light spewed from a book, the other sorcerer holding it open and aiming for the demon. In the mass of chaos, his restraints fell and Stephen was able to grab you. "Let's go," he tells the cloak who was quick to skim past floating platforms of rubble and lost souls.
The moment he felt the cold New York pavement, a sigh left his lips. "I'll take it from here," Steve took you from his arms, his resistance slightly evident. "Go, help the others," there was no use for the super soldiers, magic users being the only hope to end this catastrophic evening.
"On my mark!" Wong tells Stephen and Wanda, who eventually stood firm, arms raised, "one, two... three!" Three shields were cast, and the portal closed as quickly as possible, ripples of its edges diminishing in harsh spurts of energy. "That went surprisingly easier than-"
Stephen pushed past Wong and knelt to your side, fingers to your pulse and another hand to feel your temperature. "Sanctum, now." He orders Steve without any room for questioning, "get the book of demonicus," he tells his cloak, who was quick to complete the task.
"I hope Y/n is okay," Wanda hurries with Vision into the sanctum alongside the others. However, it was unbeknownst to them that a sliver of misfortune had successfully kept out of the portal, a small shadow haunting the dark street and following suit up the cobblestone steps, hopeful of completing its master's assigned task.
~~~
Idk if I fleshed this chapter out enough but hopefully it was decent?
- Anna ❤️